Large bust explained

Wednesday

Apr 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - Federal agents who conducted an undercover operation in Stockton over the past four months found that the city's location and freeway accessibility have helped it become a hotbed for drug trafficking and violence.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - Federal agents who conducted an undercover operation in Stockton over the past four months found that the city's location and freeway accessibility have helped it become a hotbed for drug trafficking and violence.

Two agents who infiltrated Stockton's crime circles said the availability of methamphetamine in Stockton was "unprecedented" in their experiences. They said it surpassed bigger cities such as Los Angeles, Oakland and San Diego.

"We can make a phone call and get something in an hour or two hours," said one agent, who was made available on the condition that he remain anonymous. "The majority of my work is on the East Coast, and you just don't do the kind of stuff we were doing here, where I can call and say, 'Hey, I want 5 pounds,' and within 24 hours, they're showing up with 5 pounds of crystal meth without any hesitation."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives held a news conference Tuesday to announce the results of Operation Gideon IV, a joint effort between the ATF and the Stockton Police Department to target violent crime. ATF agents, police officers and members of other local law enforcement agencies conducted over 200 enforcement actions and 20 raids, authorities said.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Joe Riehl said the operation resulted in 55 arrests and 84 firearm seizures, including six machine guns, four short-barrel rifles and two silencers. Authorities also located approximately 36 pounds of methamphetamine, 21 pounds of marijuana, 10 ounces of ecstasy, 100 grams of heroin and 55 grams of crack cocaine.

Riehl said drug trafficking from Mexico, Southern California and the Bay Area seems to be a major source of crime and violence in Stockton, which set records with 56 homicides in 2011 and 71 in 2012.

"There are a lot of violent criminals in the area," Riehl said. "One of the things we talked about when we did our analysis was, because of the interstate connectivity - north, south, east, west - this happens to be a hub where a lot of them seem to settle to conduct a lot of transactions and movement of illegal products.

"You have a lot of gang structures that have developed over the years, and because of the movement of narcotics from the Mexican border region headed north and then out towards the east, it seems to be an area where we found a lot of activity. When you have highway systems that intersect like they intersect here, people have an opportunity to set up shop because it gives them a hub to operate out of."

Twenty-one of the people arrested in Operation Gideon were from Stockton, authorities said. Several reside outside San Joaquin County, including three from Oakland and three from Porterville.

Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones said he was pleased with the results of the operation, saying it contributed to a sharp decline in violent crime in Stockton over the past four months.

"It went really well," Jones said. "Actually, it exceeded my expectations right from the beginning because they were making busts within the first month, and it just continued on. It was very impressive work."

Forty-four people arrested in Operation Gideon are facing federal charges, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said. Eleven others are being prosecuted by the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office.

Those arrested as part of Operation Gideon had a total of 459 prior arrests and 98 felony convictions, Wagner said. Most are being charged with a variety of firearms, narcotics and robbery offenses, Wagner said.

"People who are convicted in federal court are going to federal prisons," Wagner said. "There's no early release in the federal system. If you're convicted in the federal system, you're going to serve at least 85 percent of the time."

Riehl said the arrests were made with assistance from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol and the Stockton, Modesto and Lodi police departments. The operation was so confidential that few members of participating law enforcement agencies knew it was taking place, including officers and SWAT team members who carried out raids, authorities said.

"This is a proud moment in my 26 years with the ATF," Riehl said. "I couldn't be more proud of our folks, the Stockton Police Department and all the other agencies who participated to help us bring this operation to a successful conclusion."

Jones said the operation was another example of multiagency law enforcement efforts to fight crime and reduce violence in Stockton. Jones said the Police Department will continue to work with the ATF in the future.

"The violence is intolerable, and we will bring the full law enforcement gamut down upon those who continue to commit the violence," Jones said. "This means that violence will always be met with this type of enforcement action and this type of response with federal and local agencies working together to target violent offenders with very serious charges and serious time."